Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 136 / Tuesday, July 20, 2021 / Notices 38327 

characteristics, and sales of pellet fuels 

and other densified biomass fuel 

products data from facilities that 

manufacture densified biomass fuel 

products, primarily pellet fuels, for 

energy applications. The data collected 

on Form EIA–63C are a primary source 

of information for the nation’s growing 

production of biomass products for 

heating and electric power generation, 

and for use in both domestic and foreign 

markets. 

(5) Annual Estimated Number of 

Respondents: 106; 

(6) Annual Estimated Number of 

Total Responses: 1,041; 

(7) Annual Estimated Number of 

Burden Hours: 1,433; 

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and 

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: The cost of 

the burden hours is estimated to be 

$117,004 (1,433 burden hours times 

$81.65 per hour). EIA estimates that 

respondents will have no additional 

costs associated with the surveys other 

than the burden hours and the 

maintenance of the information during 

the normal course of business. 

Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 772(b), 

42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on July 14th, 

2021. 

Samson A. Adeshiyan, 

Director, Office of Statistical Methods and 

Research, U.S. Energy Information 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2021–15355 Filed 7–19–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Energy Information Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Proposed Extension 

AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information 

Administration (EIA), Department of 

Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: EIA invites public comment 

on the proposed three-year extension, 

with changes, to the Generic Clearance 

for Questionnaire Testing, Evaluation, 

and Research, as required under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. EIA– 

882T, Generic Clearance for 

Questionnaire Testing, Evaluation, and 

Research, provides EIA with the 

authority to utilize qualitative and 

quantitative methodologies to pretest 

questionnaires and validate the quality 

of data collected on EIA’s surveys. EIA 

uses EIA–882T to meet its obligation to 

publish, and otherwise make available 

independent, high-quality statistical 

data to federal government agencies, 

state and local governments, the energy 

industry, researchers, and the general 

public. 

DATES: EIA must receive all comments 

on this proposed information collection 

no later than September 20, 2021. If you 

anticipate any difficulties in submitting 

your comments by the deadline, contact 

the person listed in the ADDRESSES

section of this notice as soon as 

possible. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

electronically to Gerson Morales by 

email at Gerson.Morales@eia.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gerson Morales, U.S. Energy 

Information Administration, telephone 

(202) 586–7077, or by email at 

Gerson.Morales@eia.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

information collection request contains: 

(1) OMB No.: 1905–0186; 

(2) Information Collection Request 

Title: Generic Clearance for 

Questionnaire Testing, Evaluation, and 

Research; 

(3) Type of Request: Three-year 

extension with changes; 

(4) Purpose: The U.S. Energy 

Information Administration (EIA) is 

requesting a three-year approval from 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) to utilize qualitative and 

quantitative methodologies to pretest 

questionnaires and validate the quality 

of the data that is collected on EIA and 

DOE survey forms. Through the use of 

these methodologies, EIA will conduct 

research studies to improve the quality 

of energy data being collected, reduce or 

minimize survey respondent burden, 

and increase agency efficiency. This 

authority would also allow EIA to 

improve data collection in order to meet 

the needs of EIA’s customers while also 

staying current in the evolving nature of 

the energy industry. 

The specific methods proposed for the 

coverage by this clearance are described 

below. Also outlined is the legal 

authority for these voluntary 

information gathering activities. 

The following methods are proposed: 

Pilot Surveys. Pilot surveys conducted 

under this clearance will generally be 

methodological studies, and will always 

employ statistically representative 

samples. The pilot surveys will replicate 

all components of the methodological 

design, sampling procedures (where 

possible), and questionnaires of the full 

scale survey. Pilot surveys will normally 

be utilized when EIA undertakes a 

complete redesign of a particular data 

collection methodology or when EIA 

undertakes data collection in new 

energy areas, such as HGL production, 

alternative fueled motor vehicles, and 

other emerging areas of the energy 

sector where data collection would 

provide utility to EIA. 

Cognitive Interviews. Cognitive 

interviews are typically one-on-one 

interviews in which the respondent is 

usually asked to ‘‘think aloud’’ or is 

asked ‘‘retrospective questions’’ as he or 

she answers questions, reads survey 

materials, defines terminology, or 

completes other activities as part of a 

typical survey process. A number of 

different techniques may be involved 

including, asking respondents what 

specific words or phrases mean or 

asking respondents probing questions to 

determine how they estimate, calculate, 

or determine specific data elements on 

a survey. The objectives of these 

cognitive interviews are to identify 

problems of ambiguity or 

misunderstanding, examine the process 

that respondents follow for reporting 

information, assess survey respondents’ 

ability to report new information, or 

identify other difficulties respondents 

have answering survey questions in 

order to reduce measurement error from 

estimates based on a survey. 

Respondent Debriefings. Respondent 

debriefings conducted under this 

clearance will generally be 

methodological or cognitive research 

studies. The debriefing form is 

administered after a respondent 

completes a questionnaire either in 

paper format, electronically, or through 

in-person interviews. The debriefings 

contain probing questions to determine 

how respondents interpret the survey 

questions, how much time and effort 

was spent completing the questionnaire, 

and whether they have problems in 

completing the survey/questionnaire. 

Respondent debriefings also are useful 

in determining potential issues with 

data quality and in estimating 

respondent burden. 

Usability Testing. Usability tests are 

similar to cognitive interviews in which 

a respondent is typically asked to ‘‘think 

aloud’’ or asked ‘‘retrospective 

questions’’ as he or she reviews an 

electronic questionnaire, website, visual 

aid, or hard copy survey form. The 

objective of usability testing is to check 

that respondents can easily and 

intuitively navigate electronic survey 

collection programs, websites, and other 

survey instruments to submit their data 

to EIA. 

Focus Groups. Focus groups, in 

person, online, or by phone, involve 

group sessions guided by a moderator 

who follows a topic guide containing 

questions or subjects focused on a 

particular issue rather than adhering to 


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38328 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 136 / Tuesday, July 20, 2021 / Notices 

a standardized cognitive interview 

protocol. Focus groups are useful for 

exploring issues concerning the design 

of a form and the meaning of terms from 

a specific group of respondents, data 

users, or other stakeholders of EIA data. 

Focus groups may also be used to 

explore respondents’ general opinions 

about data collection technologies or 

survey materials other than 

questionnaires. 

(4a) Proposed Changes to Information 

Collection: 

EIA proposes to add several other 

methodologies or techniques to improve 

survey design, pretest questionnaires 

and validate the quality of the data that 

is collected on EIA and DOE survey 

forms. 

Field Techniques. Field techniques 

described in survey research and survey 

methodology literature will be 

employed as appropriate. These include 

follow-up probing, memory cue tasks, 

paraphrasing, confidence rating, 

response latency measurements, free 

and dimensional sort classification 

tasks, and vignette classifications. The 

objective of all of these techniques is to 

aid in the development of surveys that 

work with respondents’ thought 

processes, thus reducing response error 

and burden. These techniques have also 

proven useful for studying and revising 

pre-existing questionnaires. 

Behavior Coding. Behavior coding is a 

quantitative technique in which a 

standard set of codes is systematically 

applied to respondent/interviewer 

interactions in interviewer-administered 

surveys or respondent/questionnaire 

interactions in self-administered 

surveys. The advantage of this 

technique is that it can identify and 

quantify problems with the wording or 

ordering of questions, but the 

disadvantage is that it does not 

necessarily illuminate the underlying 

causes. 

Split Panel Test. Split panel tests refer 

to controlled experimental testing of 

alternative hypotheses. Thus, they allow 

one to choose from among competing 

questions, questionnaires, definitions, 

error messages or survey improvement 

methodologies with greater confidence 

than any of the other methods. Split 

panel tests conducted during the 

fielding of the survey are superior in 

that they can support both internal 

validity (controlled comparisons of the 

variable(s) under investigation) and 

external validity (represent the 

population under study). Most of the 

previously mentioned survey 

improvement methods can be 

strengthened when teamed with this 

method. 

(5) Annual Estimated Number of 

Respondents: 1,800; 

(6) Annual Estimated Number of 

Total Responses: 1,800; 

(7) Annual Estimated Number of 

Burden Hours: 2,200; 

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and 

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $179,630 

(2,200 annual burden hours multiplied 

by $81.65 per hour). EIA estimates that 

respondents will have no additional 

costs associated with the surveys other 

than the burden hours and the 

maintenance of the information during 

the normal course of business. 

Comments are invited on whether or 

not: (a) The proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of agency functions, 

including whether the information will 

have a practical utility; (b) EIA’s 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used, is accurate; (c) EIA 

can improve the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information it will collect; 

and (d) EIA can minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on 

respondents, such as automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 772(b) 

and 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on July 14th, 

2021. 

Samson A. Adeshiyan, 

Director, Office of Statistical Methods and 

Research, U.S. Energy Information 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2021–15360 Filed 7–19–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings 

Take notice that the Commission has 

received the following Natural Gas 

Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings: 

Docket Numbers: RP21–653–000. 

Applicants: Ovintiv Marketing Inc., 

Kiwetinohk Marketing US Corp. 

Description: Joint Petition of Ovintiv 

Marketing Inc. and Kiwetinohk 

Marketing US Corp. for Extension of 

Temporary and Limited Waivers. 

Filed Date: 7/12/21. 

Accession Number: 20210712–5024. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/26/21. 

Docket Numbers: RP21–963–000. 

Applicants: Effingham County Power, 

LLC, Oglethorpe Power Corporation (An 

Electric Membership Corporation). 

Description: Joint Petition for 

Temporary Waiver of Capacity Release 

Regulations, et al. of Effingham County 

Power, LLC, et al. 

Filed Date: 7/12/21. 

Accession Number: 20210712–5136. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/19/21. 

The filings are accessible in the 

Commission’s eLibrary system (https://

elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/fercgen

search.asp) by querying the docket 

number. 

Any person desiring to intervene or 

protest in any of the above proceedings 

must file in accordance with Rules 211 

and 214 of the Commission’s 

Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 

385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests may be considered, but 

intervention is necessary to become a 

party to the proceeding. 

eFiling is encouraged. More detailed 

information relating to filing 

requirements, interventions, protests, 

service, and qualifying facilities filings 

can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/ 

docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For 

other information, call (866) 208–3676 

(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. 

Dated: July 13, 2021. 

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–15314 Filed 7–19–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 10821–000] 

Pacific Gas & Electric Company; 

Notice of Authorization for Continued 

Project Operation 

On June 27, 2019, Pacific Gas & 

Electric Company (PG&E), licensee for 

the Camp Far West Transmission Line 

Project No. 10821, filed an Application 

for a Subsequent License pursuant to 

the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the 

Commission’s regulations thereunder. 

The Camp Far West Transmission Line 

Project is located in Placer and Yuba 

Counties, California. 

The license for Project No. 10821 was 

issued for a period ending June 30, 

2021. Section 15(a)(1) of the FPA, 16 

U.S.C. 808(a)(1), requires the 

Commission, at the expiration of a 

license term, to issue from year-to-year 

an annual license to the then licensee(s) 

under the terms and conditions of the 

prior license until a new license is 

issued, or the project is otherwise 

disposed of as provided in section 15 or 

any other applicable section of the FPA. 

If the project’s prior license waived the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES